The Vault
by willowww
Summary: Set after Lie of the Land. After Bill is tired of the Doctor avoiding her questions about the woman in the vault, she decides to take her questions straight to Missy. A story focusing on the relationships between the Doctor, Missy, Bill and Nardole. UPDATE: this story is being rewritten slightly as I wanted to fix some points, so some of the chapters are different!
1. chapter 1

This is a one shot, but if you like it I might continue it as a chapter series! Additionally, I've said that both the Master and Missy are in this as finally Missy has a character! But the Master is not in it - I will remove his character tag once people are more aware of Missy's new character. Set after Lie of the Land. *UPDATE: this chapter has been rewritten* - W

 _"I thought you had some kind of monster in here, or something!"_

Bill frowned as she sat in the TARDIS with the Doctor. The Doctor was examining something on the monitor. "What?" He asked without turning to face her.  
"What, what?" Bill replied nonchalantly.  
"Your frown is practically audible." The Doctor replied. Bill chuckled.  
"Its not very important." She said, shaking her head. The Doctor turned to face her and leaned against the console, his eyebrow raised. "Okay, okay!" Bill sighed, holding up her hands in surrender. "I just... I was thinking about the woman in the vault. Missy." She said quietly, sensing the Doctor's change in mood as the subject was brought up. The Doctor hummed and nodded for her to continue. "I wanted to know more about it all. Why you have a woman in a vault, first of all. Who she is." Bill explained, biting her nails nervously. The Doctor stayed silent for a moment.  
"I'll tell you later. I have to do some TARDIS repairs, first." He replied, smiling slightly. Bill sighed, knowing that the Doctor was changing the subject.  
"Alright." She said.

Later, while the Doctor distracted himself with TARDIS repairs that he likely did not need to be doing, Bill found herself at the vault. She wasn't sure why. Maybe she thought that Missy was more likely to give her the answers she wanted, or perhaps it was pure curiosity. Whatever it was, it was on arrival that she realised her visit had been in vain. Staring at the huge, multi locked doors, she wanted to face palm. "It's locked. Of course it's locked." She whispered frustratedly. She pressed her ear against the door and wondered whether Missy could hear her. She slid to the floor and sat with her back to the doors.  
"I wish I understood more than I do." She muttered. She pictured the Doctor finding her sitting at the door of the vault and shook her head, deciding that was not something she wanted. "Why am I here..." she sighed, rolling her eyes.

It was a couple days later when Bill found herself at the vault again. The same feeling of self doubt filled her as she wondered why she had come back to the vault when it contained a so-called "monster". The huge, locked and unwelcoming doors were her only company once more. "I don't know why I'm back here." She said aloud. She sighed as loneliness crept into her heart, and pictured her mum beside her. "Hello mum." She smiled. Her mum smiled in response, but as usual kept silent. Bill didn't mind. Her image was enough. "I know I already told you about how you saved the world. How _we_ saved the world, I guess. I'm not going to keep talking about that today." Bill explained. Her mum nodded, gesturing for her daughter to continue.

"I miss you, mum. It's dumb, I guess, because I barely even knew you. But I miss you." Bill said quietly. Her mum smiled sadly, as if she wished to reach out and stroke her daughter but could not. "I've been thinking..." Bill began, before stopping as a noise entered her ears. Very, very faintly, was the sound of a piano being played. A sound that was coming from behind the huge vault doors. Bill frowned as she listened to the source, and didn't notice as her mum's image faded away.

"Missy?" She said quietly through the door. The piano didn't stop, and there was no response. Bill thought the song sounded like 'The Entertainer' by Scott Joplin, however she wasn't sure - she never had been a music expert. She found herself humming along quietly after sitting there for another few minutes. "She's pretty good." She mumbled to herself.

The third time she visited Missy's vault, Bill felt ashamed. She felt as if she was hiding a secret from the Doctor - which technically she was - and didn't even have an explanation as for why. There was no piano when Bill arrived, only silence as her company. She sat against the door once more, and pulled out a book the Doctor had asked her to study - something about black holes. She read a couple mind-numbing sentences before throwing the book down beside her. "This is ridiculous," Bill muttered, "I wish he'd just answer my bloody questions instead of giving me these useless books."  
A whisper suddenly came from behind the thick door, and Bill momentarily questioned how it carried through the material. "I would answer you." it spoke enticingly.  
"Missy?" Bill whispered in reply, shocked. The voice did not come again.

When the Doctor continued to ignore Bill's questions, Bill began to lose her patience. "Don't you trust me?" She snapped, after he denied her for what felt like the hundredth time.  
The Doctor turned to face her with a frown. "Of course I trust..." he began. Bill held up her hand to silence him.  
"Then how come you won't answer me?" She interrupted. The Doctor hesitated and shook his head.  
"Because some things don't need to be relived. I'm sick of discussing it." He said, clearly attempting to dismiss his companion. Bill groaned in frustration and stormed out.

She was unsurprised to find herself at the vault once more. It had begun to be a place in which she could escape - no one would find her down here, not even the Doctor, as he would never expect her to voluntarily sit outside the vault. Bill sat against the doors and sighed, feeling sorry for herself. She wondered whether the Doctor wouldn't tell her because she was only a human. "A stupid human." Bill sulked quietly.

Suddenly, the huge doors of the vault groaned and slowly opened inwards, causing Bill to fall backwards slightly, catching herself before she embarrassed herself too much. The time lady she had met not long ago stood in front of her, well dressed and put together as ever. She looked down at Bill with a frustrated expression. "Stop your moping, dear, and come inside." She said impatiently.  
Bill frowned. "I'm not moping." She snapped, incredibly confused with the entire situation. Missy laughed as if Bill had said something hilarious.  
"Come in." She beckoned, opening her arms wide in an over exaggerated welcome to her vault.  
"How did you... how did you get out?" Bill asked, gesturing to the doors. Missy tapped the side of her nose.  
"Remember what I said about the leaf gun earlier? How I made a gun from leaves? I'm _very clever_ dear." Missy explained, slowing down her words as though Bill was stupid.  
"Does the Doctor know?" Bill asked, following her inside. Missy cackled.  
"Does he know I'm very clever? Yes." she answered.  
"Then why would you stay?" Bill queried, confused.  
Missy frowned as if she had eaten something that tasted disgusting. "I'm... being good." She said unhappily.

Bill nodded slowly, and followed Missy to the chairs by the fireplace. She hovered near the chair, unsure of whether to sit down, until Missy rolled her eyes and sighed "Come on, pet, I don't have all day". Missy lounged comfortably in the chair, completely making herself at home in her prison. "You want to know things." Missy stated. Bill suddenly remembered that Missy was meant to be inside the containment field, but decided she couldn't be bothered asking about it.  
"Basically." Bill replied uneasily. After Missy's silence, she added "I don't think he trusts me. The Doctor, I mean."  
"Well, he definitely trusts you, dear. He always trusts you humans far too easily. It's disgusting." Missy replied, her words more comforting than expected. Her eyes softened slightly. "He doesn't not answer because he doesn't trust you." Missy said. Bill remained silent, mostly out of confusion. "He's old and sentimental. We've lived a long time, me and him. Him and I. Sometimes bad things happen. And when they do, the Doctor chooses to lock those memories away. As if that'll hurt less." Missy explained. She rolled her eyes on the last sentence, as if it was ridiculous.  
"And what do you do?" Bill asked. Missy frowned in thought.  
"I live with them." She said after a while, surprising even herself with her honesty. Bill nodded.

"I wanted to know why you're here. And who you are." Bill asked hesitantly.  
"I'm Missy. Other last of the time lords." Missy replied with a disturbing smile.  
"No, I know that. The Doctor said that. But who are you to him? And what... why did he call you a monster?" Bill asked.  
"I am his oldest and best friend. We were friends as kids, centuries ago." Missy replied, causing Bill to frown deeply.  
"What happened?" She asked. Missy frowned.

"Why do you want to know? Awful lot of very personal questions." She snapped defensively.  
"I just... I want to know him better. Besides, I find it incredibly weird that he has a woman locked in a vault, so I want to know about that, too." Bill replied. Missy sighed.  
"What happened was that he ran away and I went insane. He called me a monster because that's what I am." Missy explained. "I'm here because I killed a _lot_ of people, and, long and confusing story short, I had to be locked in a vault for a thousand years. A vault which the Doctor has to guard, as the only other remaining time lord." Missy continued.  
Bill suddenly felt the urge to leave, knowing that she was sitting beside a mass murderer, but then, she knew that the Doctor had caused the loss of many lives too - even indirectly. This new life with the Doctor was one of extremely confusing morality.  
Missy sensed her uneasiness. "Oh, calm your little brain down, I'm not going to kill you. The Doctor would be ever so upset." She said, rolling her eyes.  
Bill nodded, not at all comforted. "Don't you get bored down here?" She asked, looking around the mostly empty room. Missy shrugged.  
"I play piano." She replied.  
"You're pretty good." Bill found herself saying. Missy's eyebrows raised.  
"How do you know, dear?" She asked with a smirk. Bill frowned and ignored the time lady, who she knew was trying to embarrass her.  
"Thanks for answering my questions." Bill said after a while, standing up to leave. A flash of an unreadable emotion crossed Missy's face, so quickly that Bill questioned whether she had even seen it.  
"That's alright. I'm always happy to do things the Doctor would disapprove of." She smirked, going back to the facade she usually wore. Bill lingered at the door a little too long.  
"I could... come back, if you wanted." She said hesitantly. Missy frowned, the disgusted expression returning.  
"Why would I want you to?" She snapped, furious at the implication that she required company, and from a human, no less.  
"No, I just meant... oh, never mind." Bill replied with a sigh, turning to leave. Just as the door was a centimetre from closing, she heard Missy's voice quietly whisper.  
"Okay."


	2. chapter 2

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, favourites and follows! After getting several reviews on my other stories that my layout is difficult to understand, I will be changing the layout a bit. Just thought I'd let you know in case you notice. *UPDATE: this chapter has been rewritten* - W

Upon returning to the TARDIS, Bill found herself thrust into an uncomfortable silence. Neither her nor the Doctor knew what to say after their argument only an hour before. Eventually, it was the Doctor who spoke first.

"Where were you?" He asked quietly, turning to face her. His voice wasn't confronting or angry, and instead sounded soft, as if he had been worried.  
"I... just went for a walk." Bill lied, worried they would only argue again if she told him where she had actually been. She knew that the Doctor could see straight through her, but to his credit, he didn't push the subject.

"I didn't mean to bring up bad memories earlier." Bill spoke. The Doctor didn't reply, and instead beckoned for Bill to follow him over to nearby chairs. He took a deep breath.  
"We grew up together. Missy and I. Well, she was known as the Master then." He noticed Bill's confused frown. "When a time lord's body dies, they regenerate. Grow a new body, essentially. Sometimes a time lord can change gender. Its not a big deal like it is with your lot." He explained. Bill nodded slowly.  
"So when you die, you become somebody else?" Bill asked. The Doctor shook his head.  
"I'll look like a different person, but I will still be me." He reassured her. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Missy and I... its a long story, Bill. Are you sure you want to know?" He asked. Bill nodded determinedly.

And so he told her. With mugs of tea in hand, Bill listened as the Doctor explained to her the Untempered Schism, much as he had to Martha all those years ago, telling her of how he had run away, and the Master had gone insane. He explained that their friendship had only been rekindled recently with Missy, as the Master had been hell-bent on murdering the Doctor and dominating planets. Yet, as he explained, they both never stopped caring in their strange ways, even throughout the year that never was, where Martha Jones saved the Earth. Bill listened with wide eyes as he told of Martha, as Bill - like the rest of the world - could not remember that year. Strangely, she wished she could, so that she could remember Martha, considering she had saved them all.  
"The most important thing I want you to remember from these stories, Bill, is that Missy is dangerous. She is making progress, and that's why she is in the vault, so that I can help her. But, I don't want you to trust her - not yet. She has murdered in the past so willingly that I worry she could kill you just as easily. She very nearly killed Martha Jones and all of her family when they helped me try to stop her, and I... I can't let another of my friends suffer because of her again." The Doctor explained. Bill nodded, suddenly feeling sick at the thought of the danger she had been in whilst visiting Missy.  
"But why would you spare her after all that she's done?" Bill asked. A brief expression of sadness flashed across the Doctor's face.  
"Because she's my best and longest friend." He said quietly. Bill nodded.  
"Thank you for telling me." She smiled gently. The Doctor smiled slightly in return.

"So, where to today?" Bill asked, seeing that he needed a change of subject.  
"Nowhere, I'm afraid. The TARDIS needs repairs after our last trip, thanks to Nardole spilling his tea on the console." The Doctor replied, walking to the console. "Got anything human you need to do today?"  
Bill shrugged. "Maybe."

dwdwdw

Bill arrived at the vault knowing that it was ridiculous for her to have come after the Doctor had warned her away. However, after hearing their story, and considering that Missy had asked her to come back... she felt that she was doing the right thing, even if it meant risking her own life and lying to the Doctor. The Doctor wanted Missy to change, and so in a way, Bill hoped she could help, if only for him.

The door opened as she approached it, and Bill sighed. "You've got to stop doing that. I'll have to tell the Doctor."  
"Will you?" Missy questioned, raising an eyebrow as if challenging her.  
"Yes," Bill replied, "Because I know more about you now."  
Missy shut the doors behind them, and went to sit at the piano. "Oh, do you now? I suppose the Doctor told you."  
"Yeah, we talked about it. He told me you're his best friend." Bill explained, standing awkwardly nearby.  
"I am his best friend." Missy smiled unsettlingly, as she began to play a strange tune on the piano.  
"He told me you used to be a dude, too."  
"You're so eloquent. I prefer being a woman, now." Missy said, briefly pausing her song as though in thought over her previous bodies.

"He told me that you killed people." Bill forced herself to say it, as she knew she wouldn't be able to relax without bringing it up. She had to know why.  
" _Lots_ of people, dear." Missy announced happily, although her fingers told a different story as she suddenly played the wrong chord in her piano piece. Bill frowned in disgust.  
"What, and you're... proud of that?" she asked. Missy turned away from the piano.  
"What did you want me to say?" she replied. She suddenly pouted dramatically. "I'm so _so_ sorry pet. I do so regret my history of brutal murder, even if it was so fun." she exclaimed, putting on the most sarcastic and patronising voice Bill had ever heard.  
"You're evil." Bill snapped. Missy cackled, and Bill frowned even further. "You know what I think?"  
"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me." Missy sighed sarcastically, returning to her piano playing.  
"I think that you're sad. I don't know why, maybe you're jealous that the Doctor spends his time with me and not you, or maybe you wish you could be out there killing people, I don't know. But I think... I think you're lonely. You opened the doors for me because you have nobody else, and you need me." Bill rambled, furious at Missy's obvious joy at being labelled a murderer.

Missy stopped playing her song abruptly, and turned to Bill with a strangely blank expression. She stepped towards Bill slowly, like a tiger stalking its prey. "I'm not _lonely_. And I do _not_ need _you_." She spat, her expression becoming more murderous as she approached.  
Bill stepped backwards towards the doors, and her heart began beating out of her chest as she realised she didn't know the code to open them. "Missy I..." she began, but she couldn't bring herself to apologise. Not to someone who laughed at murder.  
Missy leaned in close to Bill, causing Bill to fall back against the doors, her back pressing against them so hard she knew she would have bruises. "Are you scared?" she whispered, smiling maniacally. "You smell of fear." Bill's breath was coming in short gasps now, and she knew she was about to die. Missy leaned in, pushing aside Bill's hair, and Bill pictured her mother standing next to her, hoping that would be her last image. "I could kill you." Missy whispered.  
Suddenly she pulled away. "Get out!" she growled. Bill frowned in confusion, and found herself frozen in shock. "Get. Out." Missy screeched, punctuating her scream by throwing a nearby lamp straight at the door code panel, shattering both the lamp and the panel, and causing the doors to open. Bill frantically ran out just as Missy threw something else towards the doors, but thankfully, the doors shut before it could reach her.

"Bill." A voice came from behind Bill, and she turned with dread in her heart.  
"Doctor." She whispered. "I'm... I'm sorry, Doctor." She continued after the Doctor said nothing.  
"I assume that you were here during your 'walk'?" The Doctor said. His tone and expression were unreadable. Bill nodded sadly.  
"I just... when you weren't answering me I came here, and then she just seemed lonely, so I came back. She asked me to come back. I'm sorry." Bill explained. The Doctor sighed.  
"And then what happened?" He asked, gesturing to the direction of the screeching and breaking of furniture.  
"She was... bragging about killing people, and it just made me sick. So I... I lost my temper. I told her she was just lonely and sad." Bill replied. The Doctor frowned.  
"Go back to the TARDIS." He said. Bill sighed, but nodded, and left. The Doctor approached the vault doors, and carefully opened them.

"Missy."


	3. chapter 3

"Missy." The Doctor said gently. He slowly approached the time lady, who stood nearby holding what appeared to be a shiv of sorts. She held it out in front of her in defence, her eyes wild and her clothing disheveled.

"Get out." She growled. The Doctor shook his head and continued walking towards her. Missy frowned. "Get OUT!" She screamed. The Doctor was dangerously close to her, and she felt her confidence wavering. "Get out." She said quietly. The Doctor slowly reached out, and gently pulled the shiv from her grip. Missy's eyes betrayed her, burning with tears that she refused to let fall.

"I'm sorry. I should have visited more often." The Doctor said gently. Missy shook her head with one sharp movement, and wandered over to the piano. It seemed to be the only source of... well, sanity was never going to be the right word concerning Missy, but... joy was a more appropriate word. The Doctor noticed she was looking at the piano with a mournful expression, and he joined her.

As he approached the piano, he realised her problem. In her anger, she had fashioned a shiv from a nearby resource. A resource that happened to be her only source of joy and entertainment during her imprisonment. Missy reached out and touched the spot that the missing key used to be in.

"It can be fixed." The Doctor said. Missy didn't reply, and sat down to play. She began playing a song that sounded sorrowful and isolated. It was what the Doctor imagined loneliness would sound like. Missy removed her right hand from the piano and gestured for the Doctor to sit beside her.

"Play." She instructed simply.

"I can't, Missy." The Doctor sighed.

"You can. You did when we were children."

"I don't know the song." The Doctor said. Just as he finished speaking, the knowledge of the music seemed to flow into his mind. He refrained from smiling. Missy always had been a natural and powerful telepath. He placed his right hand at the lower side of the piano keys, and they began to play.

Their hands worked together as if part of not two minds, but one. The Doctor felt a small amount of self doubt at his piano skills lingering at the back of his mind, but Missy pushed it aside and encouraged him to continue playing. Missy played expertly, as if she didn't have to think about the keys or the music at all.

"You've lost your touch slightly, my dear." Missy spoke quietly as the song finished. The Doctor sighed.

"I haven't played piano in a very long time." He replied. Missy nodded, and looked to the floor as silence hit them both. "I'm sorry." He muttered after a while. Missy chuckled humourlessly, but refrained from asking him "what for?" as to avoid argument. She knew what he was sorry for.

"Well, at least all that alone time didn't make me go mad." Missy joked. The Doctor smiled slightly.

"I don't think you could get much worse." He smirked. Missy slapped his arm, however the Doctor noted it was much lighter than it could have been. "What have you been doing with Bill?" He asked.

Missy rolled her eyes. "I've not been torturing her, if that's your question." She replied.

"That's not my question." He answered. Missy shrugged.

"Just chatting." Missy said simply.

"What about?"

"You. Me. The gruesome details."

"All nice, I hope." The Doctor said. He had intended it to come out with humour, however instead it was dry.

Missy's demeanour suddenly changed, and she seemed more quiet and tired. "I was nothing but honest with her." She said. The Doctor sighed.

"I'll come back soon, Kos." He said gently. Missy's eyes snapped up at the use of her old nickname, and she stared at him for a moment as if she was reliving the days of their youth.

"Okay." She practically whispered. The nickname has caught her off guard, and she felt vulnerable. The Doctor nodded with a small smile, and left the vault.

After shutting the door behind him, he began walking out to leave. Just as he came across the exit, he stopped and turned around. "Come on, Bill." He called. Bill emerged from the shadows with a blush.

"Coming, Doctor." She replied hurriedly. She ran to catch up with him and tried to ignore the questioning voice in her head.

 _Why did you wait behind? It wasn't curiosity. It was worry. But not for the Doctor, no. It was for Mi-_

Bill began humming to stop the thoughts circling her mind. No need to think about them now, she decided, catching up to the Doctor and walking beside him.


	4. chapter 4

A/N: Thank you to those who favourite, follow and review! They make my day. Also particularly thank you to the guests who reviewed as I can't private message you, I'm glad you like it! I agree that Missy does need a big hug, and hopefully this will be in store for her - when she is ready ;) To the other guest, I love the idea of Bill and Missy's friendship too! Hopefully I'll be able to incorporate it well. Will just add briefly, I use 'dwdwdw' as a line break because nothing else stays in the text for me once publishing. Hope you all enjoy! - W

Bill lay back and placed her feet up on the table. Nardole sat beside her with a cup of tea in his hand, and examined her deepening frown.

"Why are you frowning?" He asked. Bill looked to him with a startled expression, as if she had forgotten he was there.

"Just thinking." Bill mumbled. She yawned and put her hands over her eyes.

"Doesn't seem like 'just thinking'." Nardole replied with a raised eyebrow. Bill sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know, Nardole. I feel like... I don't know. You're going to think it's stupid." She said. Nardole placed his tea on the table and turned to face his friend.

"You can tell me, Bill." He said gently. Bill felt her hesitance fade at her friend's kind voice.

"Well, I visited Missy." She began. Nardole opened his mouth in surprise, however quickly shut it. "She just told me about the Doctor the first time." Nardole didn't hesitate to interrupt this time.

"The first time? How many times did you go to the vault?" He exclaimed in shock. Bill rolled her eyes.

"I knew you'd say that, but just listen." She said, hushing the cyborg. Nardole sighed slightly and nodded. "The second time, I went back because, well... you know the _very_ first time I met her, right? When we were fighting the monks?" Nardole nodded in reply. "She said the Doctor hadn't visited her in six months. And then she just seemed so lonely. I..." Bill trailed off.

Nardole frowned in thought. "I doubt she's lonely, Bill. I mean, it's not like she's the most social or friendly person."

"You didn't see though, Nardole. I asked her if she was lonely, and she just lost it." Bill explained. Nardole looked at his friend worriedly.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Bill nodded.

"I'm fine. The Doctor calmed her down." She replied. She put her feet back on the floor and stood up. "I should talk to him."

"Bill..." Nardole began. Bill stopped and turned to face her friend just as she reached the door. "Just... be careful. You know, with Missy." He said hesitantly. Bill nodded with a small smile. "Will do, Nardole."

dwdwdw

"So, which planet takes your fancy?" The Doctor announced as Bill found him in the console of the TARDIS. He stood with his back to Bill, and was staring at a screen that was showing a dozen or so planets. "Or, time periods?" He added as an afterthought. He pressed a button and the screen's image changed to a large timeline.

"Uh... Doctor? What are you on about?" Bill said. The Doctor turned to face her.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Bill rolled her eyes.

"One moment you're all 'oh no, TARDIS repairs!' and the next you're all 'choose a planet and a time period!'" She replied, doing an overexaggerated imitation of the Doctor. He raised his eyebrow, however Bill noticed a faint smile appearing on his face as she waved her arms around dramatically.

"The repairs didn't take as long as I thought. Besides, we've all been getting bored hanging around on twenty-first century Earth." He replied. Bill frowned.

"We all?" She questioned. The Doctor nodded and turned to fiddle with the TARDIS controls absentmindedly.

"All of us. You, me, Nardole... Missy." He said. He seemed to lower his voice on the last name, as if hesitant to tell Bill.

"Missy? She's coming too?" Bill exclaimed. The Doctor nodded.

"You were right. She is lonely. She needs something to do, before she kills somebody." He replied. Bill smiled in response, before she realised he was not necessarily joking.

"You're not seriously thinking of letting that woman out of the vault, are you?" A voice said loudly. Nardole stood in the doorway with a shocked expression, apparently doing an impression of a fish with the amount of times he opened and shut his mouth.

"She needs to get out for a while." The Doctor said. Nardole shook his head.

"Besides the fact she can't be trusted, this is breaking _every_ rule of her escape from execution! She doesn't die, instead she stays in a vault for a thousand years!" He frowned. The Doctor sighed, and held up a pair of glowing wristbands.

"We'll be taking precautions, Nardole. I agree with you. But she won't benefit from being left by herself, believe me. It'll only do herself - and likely everyone around her - harm." He explained. Nardole nodded with his mouth in an 'O' shape.

"What do the wristbands do?" Bill asked, interrupting the two. The Doctor held them up so that the two could see them.

"Tracking wristbands. I can tell where she is at all times. Not only that, but if she gets over 10 metres away from me, she'll be hit with a zap of electricity." He explained. Bill frowned angrily.

"That's torture." She said, unsure as to why she cared.

"Missy and I can endure much more than your average human. She'll be fine, it'll barely hurt. It'll just make her unconscious. That's the point." The Doctor replied. He paused. "Regardless, it'll be protecting innocent lives from her, and protecting her from herself." Bill understood the message he was trying to send without necessarily saying anything. _That's what you should be worried about right now, Bill. Don't put too much trust in her. At least, not yet._

"Take us to a planet, Doctor." She decided, changing the subject. She leaned into to read the monitor, which the Doctor had changed back to the screen of planets. Bill narrowed her eyes as she examined the different images, and pointed slowly at a bright blue planet. "To this one."


	5. chapter 5

A/N: Thank you for your support as always! It keeps me writing :) If any of you have any suggestions for one shots or other story ideas, feel free! I can't guarantee them happening soon though as I've been rather busy lately - but they definitely will happen.

As they travelled to the university, the nervous tension rising in the TARDIS was becoming so thick it could practically be cut with a knife. By the time Bill had roused up the confidence to say something, they had already arrived outside the vault.

The Doctor sighed slightly and raised an eyebrow as he noticed Missy outside of the vault, and leaning against the door casually. He decided to leave that conversation for another time, particularly considering the fact that he wasn't quite sure how to keep her from escaping yet.

"Ready?" He asked. Missy lifted her arms in a demonstrative fashion to show him her neatly styled outfit.

"Don't I look ready?" She replied. She smiled a smile that didn't seem to reach her eyes.

"You look nice." Bill spoke out, feeling a strange burst of confidence. Missy looked to her, her face revealing a brief expression of genuine surprise.

"...Thank you dear." She replied. Bill nodded, and the silence between them all became deeply awkward.

"So, lets go?" Nardole asked. The Doctor nodded and the group followed him back to the TARDIS.

"So, this planet. Aren't you gonna do the usual introduction?" Bill asked as the TARDIS landed roughly on the surface of the unknown planet. The Doctor looked to her with a confused expression.

"Blab on a bit about planet facts. The things no one cares about." Missy explained, leaning in to the Doctor as if it were a secret. She turned to face Bill. "I'll get it done faster and better, my dear, so let's just get it over with. The planet name is unnecessary, as the only vaguely interesting fact for a simple human like yourself is that the surface and the people are one hundred percent blue. The people are all peaceful and quiet villagers. You can see why I hate the place." She rolled her eyes dramatically and skipped to the doors of the TARDIS.

Bill looked to the Doctor with a confused frown, noting the strange mood Missy seemed to be in. It was as if she was over exaggerating her usual personality to hide something else. The Doctor gave her a look as if to say _I'll tell you later. Not now._

"Missy, wait." The Doctor spoke. She turned to him and sighed, holding out her arms in front of her.

"If you must." She muttered. She looked away with a disgusted frown as he clamped the tracking wristbands around her wrists. The wristbands began to glow a light blue.

"You know what these do. If I were you, I wouldn't wander off." The Doctor said sternly, warning her against enacting any plots that could ruin their day. Missy didn't reply, but he knew that she understood.

Bill nudged Nardole. "What?" He asked, rubbing his shoulder. Bill rolled her eyes.

"I didn't even hit you that hard." She replied. Nardole frowned.

"Still hurt." He said. "Why'd you hit me?"

"Say something." She said, gesturing to the two timelords standing in front of them, the tension between the two growing more uncomfortable by the second.

"What? Why me? What am I supposed to say?" Nardole replied with a nervous expression. Bill rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Oi! Are we going to go?" She spoke, breaking the Doctor and Missy from the impending argument everyone could sense was coming. The Doctor nodded and swung the TARDIS doors open to reveal the mystery planet.

Missy had been right, the surface and people were entirely blue. There were an array of different shades, of course, but it was all blue at it's base. It seemed that the TARDIS had landed next to a bustling market square, full of noise and people.

"That's... a lot of blue." Bill muttered, noting that even the ground, sky and trees were bright blue. Missy smirked.

"I see why you have these pets, Doctor. They're ever so observant." She said sarcastically. Bill sent her a brief glare, before venturing outside on to the planet. Immediately, her eye was caught by some nearby trinkets at a stall, and she approached them.

As she examined the products, she noticed the discussion around her had turned into excited or nervous whispering. She wasn't sure which. "Is that... are they talking about us?" She asked the Doctor quietly. He chuckled.

"Of course. A planet that's entirely blue, and we turn up all white and pink and... well, you know." He trailed off as Bill raised an eyebrow. Nardole nudged him softly, and he turned to face him. He gestured to the time lady, who was standing a couple metres away. Her expression was that of snobby royalty, looking down on those who walked by her, however her eyes showed a strange emotion Nardole couldn't recognise.

"What's up with her?" He asked quietly.

"I'm not sure. I'll keep an eye on her." The Doctor replied. He did not mention his confusion as he recognised the look in Missy's eyes that Nardole could not, as he did not want to worry Nardole. It was a look of fear. That same look he had seen in the Master's eyes in the year that Martha Jones saved the world, as the Master realised his plans had failed. That same look he had spotted in Koschei's eyes as a child when was in trouble, caught doing something he shouldn't have been. A look that was rarely seen in Missy's eyes. In fact, the Doctor could only recall a handful of times he had seen it.

"I suggest we stroll." Bill announced as she rejoined the group, losing interest in the stall. The Doctor smiled as Bill broke him from his thoughts.

"Good plan, Bill." He replied. He gestured for Missy to join them, who begrudgingly followed.

"There's so many better things to be doing here, and you want to walk? I can walk on any planet, anywhere!" Missy complained as she caught up.

"Fresh air might do you good, Missy. You said you hadn't been out in... quite some time." Bill replied. Missy didn't reply, but the Doctor gave Bill a smile of thanks. He knew that it was hard for Nardole and Bill to trust Missy - hell, it was hard for the Doctor to trust her - so he appreciated their efforts.

The crowd they were walking through had thickened as they walked progressively further. The group found themselves having to push their way through briskly, defeating the purpose of their relaxing stroll.

The Doctor had been carefully watching Missy through the entire trip, however became distracted as the growing crowd prevented him from thinking. Bill however, kept an eye on her at all times. She could sense something was not right.

Missy had stayed silent ever since the crowd began to grow, and tension seemed to radiate off of her in waves. Each brush of someone's shoulder against her own, each push of someone's elbow to nudge her out of the way, only angered her further. The final straw seemed to be layed as a man pushed Missy aside roughly to pass her. She turned and grabbed him firmly by the sleeve and yanked him back to face her. "Going somewhere?" She asked seemingly sweetly. Her eyes, however, revealed a murderous undertone. The man looked between her and the tight grip she had on him nervously.

"Missy, stop." Bill said sternly, noticing the situation that was arising. Missy turned to face her with a glare.

"Stay out of this, dear, or you'll be next." Missy warned. She lifted her device from her pocket, and the Doctor frowned in confusion.

"I swore I took that away from you." He said. Missy chuckled darkly.

"And I stole it back in the TARDIS. Keep up." She replied. She held the device up to the blue man in front of her, and pouted at him. "Say something nice, won't you?" She asked softly.

"Missy, no!" The Doctor yelled. Missy frowned as suddenly her device was flung from her hands, and turned to face Bill, who stood in front of her.

"Let him go." Bill said firmly. Missy's frown deepened, and she stepped closer to her. Bill felt a sense of déjà vu as she recalled Missy's last threat on her life... _Jasmine and fear._

But just as Bill closed her eyes in fear, sensing the woman coming closer and closer, she heard the time lady growl. She opened her eyes to see Missy's face showing fury and her eyes showing confusion. "Missy?" She whispered.

Missy turned and ran away, so overwhelmed and panicked that she had forgotten about the wristbands. She stepped over the ten metre mark away from the Doctor, and a bolt of electricity shot through her. The Doctor hadn't lied to Bill - it wasn't excruciating, and it certainly couldn't kill her, but it stung enough to cause her body to spasm and send her into unconsciousness.

Bill, Nardole and the Doctor watched in shock as Missy convulsed and fell to the ground.


	6. chapter 6

A/N: Thank you all, as always! - W

Opening her eyes slowly, Missy first noticed that she was facing a ceiling. Meaning, she noted, that she was lying down. She then noticed how much her limbs burned. "Feeling better?" A female voice sounded from nearby. Missy tried to sit up quickly, but found it slow and uncomfortable, so remained lying down.

"Feeling fine." Missy replied, brushing off the question. The voice came closer and Missy realised it was Bill. "Any reason you're in here, dear? I don't need a babysitter." She asked. Bill rolled her eyes.

"Be careful not to be too thankful, you know. I was only trying to be nice." She replied. She took a seat in a chair next to the bed Missy was lying in. Missy huffed and looked away.

"Do you remember what happened?" Bill asked. Missy raised her hand to her chest to feign offence.

"Of course I do!" She replied frustratedly. Bill raised her hands in defence.

"I just thought... sometimes people lose their memories briefly when things like this happen. Like, amnesia." She explained. Missy chuckled.

"Do I look like a weak human like you? No. So don't ask stupid questions." She sneered. Bill frowned and stood up.

"You know what? You want to be alone, suit yourself. I'm going." Bill said angrily, before storming out. Missy chuckled once more, before sighing.

"I know you're there, Doctor." She called out. The Doctor stepped into the room with a slightly embarrassed expression. He felt ridiculous for forgetting Missy could sense his presence telepathically.

"Hey." He said gently. He sat in the chair previously occupied by Bill. "Are you... how do you feel?" He asked.

"Oh, all fine and dandy. I could almost forget I was hit by a surge of electricity. What do you think, Doctor?" Missy said sarcastically. She felt a wave of guilt roll off the Doctor, which made her uncomfortable.

"Why... why are you..." she gestured to him, and hoped he would understand. He sighed.

"I'm not sure what you mean." He replied unconvincingly. Missy rolled her eyes.

"Don't be an idiot, Doctor." She snapped.

"It doesn't matter, Missy." The Doctor said. His tone sounded like a warning, but Missy was never one to listen to warnings. She pulled herself up into a seated position on the bed and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Talk, or I'll make you, dear Doctor." She said with a manic smile. The Doctor shook his head and his expression grew dangerously angry.

"Don't try and control me. You know it won't work." He growled as he stood to leave. Missy cackled as walked out the door.

"Oh, Doctor, I've always been able to control you!"

dwdwdw

The Doctor sat with his head in his hands by the TARDIS console. "What's wrong with you?" Bill asked, sitting beside him. He looked up.

"I don't know, Bill." He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

"It's about Missy, I'm guessing." Bill replied. The Doctor nodded.

"She's just... it's so hard to know what she needs. Or what she wants. I've known her for so long and... I'm worried she'll never change." He admitted. Bill nodded.

"Look, I don't know her that well. But before you wonder whether she can't change or not, think on this, yeah?" Bill replied. The Doctor raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to explain. "When we were on that planet and she was losing it a bit, why didn't she kill me? Why didn't she attack me? She just ran away."

The Doctor frowned. "You're right." He said quietly. He had never know Missy to pass on an opportunity to murder someone before. He stood up to go speak to his old friend once more.

"And Doctor?" Bill called, just before he left the room. He turned to face her. "Just... ask yourself why she might have been like that in the first place." The Doctor smiled and nodded.

"What would I do without you, Bill." He said, before leaving the room.

dwdwdw

After the Doctor and Bill had left her alone, Missy had grown bored of sitting in what she had realised was the TARDIS medbay. She swung her legs out of bed and took several shakey steps toward the screen on the nearby wall. It was the panel with which the Doctor could analyse those in need of medical treatment, however with a bit of fiddling, Missy could gain access through it to the main console.

Once she hacked into it - a simple task for someone as intelligent as her - she decided to look over the TARDIS system for any faults that needed repairing. _And let's be realistic. Any TARDIS piloted by the Doctor will be needing repairs._ Missy noted. She found several spots throughout the TARDIS that required work, and decided to venture out and repair them - simply for her own amusement, and not at all for the Doctor's sake.

Just before she could leave, the Doctor bumped into her in the doorway of the medbay. "I need to talk to you." He said firmly. Missy shrugged.

"And I have things to do. Move." She replied. The Doctor shook his head.

"No. We need to talk." The Doctor repeated. Missy sighed dramatically.

"Doctor, get out of my way." She threatened.

"Please, Missy." The Doctor said quietly. Missy's expression softened and she met eyes with the Doctor.

"Talk quickly." She sighed. The Doctor nodded.

"Shall we sit down?"


	7. chapter 7

"Now look, Doctor," Missy said, sitting back down on the medbay bed. "I'll listen to you. But I'm not getting all... emotional, talking about my feelings, okay? So don't try and turn it into one of those conversations." She raised an eyebrow to the Doctor in warning. The Doctor smiled slightly and nodded.

"I'll try." He replied. He sighed and sat in the chair beside the bed. "What happened earlier, Missy?"

Missy rolled her eyes. "I was threatened." She replied.

"You were not. You were doing the threatening." He scoffed. Missy smiled wickedly.

"So I was, Doctor." She smiled. The Doctor noted the worrying amount Missy seemed to enjoy hearing him say those words.

"That's not what I meant, though, and you know it. You were acting strange the whole time we were there." He said. He noticed Missy's eyes darken.

"Breaching the emotional feelings rule, Doctor." She snapped.

"You were afraid." The Doctor said, daring to push her further. Missy sat up straight in a blink of an eye, and had a murderous expression lingering on her face. She didn't reply, however, and the Doctor could tell her anger was driven by her embarrassment. "Why?" He questioned.

"Don't push it, Doctor." Missy spat. She met eyes with the Doctor, hoping to glare at him in the most threatening way she could, however she paused as she noticed the genuine curiousity in his eyes.

Missy looked away. "I was..." she began, trailing off. She couldn't bring herself to even say the words.

The pieces finally clicked together for the Doctor, and he leaned closer to Missy. "When was the last time you left the vault, Missy?" He asked gently.

Missy huffed as if to brush him off, but he could see the tears forming in her eyes, never to be allowed to fall. "I'm sorry." The Doctor whispered. Missy's eyes snapped to him and she frowned angrily.

"You're sorry, Doctor? For what?" She spat sarcastically. She stood up from the bed, prompting the Doctor to rise as well. "Sorry for abandoning me, time and time again? On Gallifrey, on Skaro, in the vault... what difference does it make?" She began walking towards him slowly, backing him towards the wall.

The Doctor stood against the wall, but not in fear. Fear was what Missy wanted. What she needed to use to gain control over a situations, or her own feelings. A satisfaction he was not going to grant her. "I'm not afraid of you." He said gently. Missy pushed him roughly against the wall in anger.

"You are. You always have been." She sneered. The Doctor smiled softly.

"Used to be, you're right. But you know why that's changed?" He replied.

"Why?" Missy spat, as if the word was poison.

"Because you've changed." The Doctor said. Missy dropped her hands and stumbled back slightly, in a rare show of vulnerability. "I'm sorry I left you. I really am. You just couldn't be trusted, Missy. How could I trust you then?" He said quietly. Missy stared at a spot on the floor as she attempted to regain control of her limbs. "I made a mistake, earlier. I didn't realise how afraid you must have been outside of the vault. I didn't think. But I've made a thousand other mistakes throughout my life, and so have you. We can't change our past actions, Missy. Only our future ones."

Missy slumped back on to the bed in defeat, but said nothing. The Doctor attempted to reach out to her via telepathy, but she had placed mental walls between their minds to block him out. "Missy, say something. Please." He said softly. He hesitated. "Kos." He whispered. Missy's head snapped up to face him, and she nodded. Her eyes were surprisingly dry, to her relief.

"Theta." She whispered in reply, a whisper so quiet that had there been any other background noise, he wouldn't have heard it. A pause of uncertain silence followed, neither of them knowing where to go next, before the Doctor leapt up.

"Oh! Hold on!" He exclaimed. He held up a hand signalling her to wait, and ran out of the room. Moments later he returned with one hand behind his back. "As promised." He smiled, passing the gift into her hands. She opened her hands to see a new white piano key.

"Thete..." she muttered, examining it. She looked up and shared a glance with him that said a thousand words, without needing any to actually be said aloud. The Doctor smiled.

"You're welcome."

dwdwdw 

Bill watched the Doctor return to the console after having obviously just spoken to Missy. She placed down the book she had been reading and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What?" The Doctor asked distractedly as he fiddled with the TARDIS controls.

"What do you mean, what? How'd it go?" Bill replied impatiently.

"We talked, like you wanted us to." The Doctor answered simply. Bill sighed, realising it was unlikely she'd get any other information from him.

"So... now what are we gonna do?" She asked. Before the Doctor had a chance to reply, Nardole entered the room.

"Phew! Those repairs took much longer than you said they would, Doctor." Nardole exclaimed tiredly. He sat on a chair nearby and met eyes with Bill.

"How is everything?" He asked carefully.

"Good, I think." Bill replied. The Doctor ignored them as if he hadn't heard them. Whether it was because he was too distracted, or didn't wish to discuss it, Bill was unsure.

"And Missy? She's just... staying here, on the TARDIS?" Nardole asked with a slight frown.

"Just for now." The Doctor replied. Bill nodded slowly.

"Is that... wise?" Nardole said nervously. An uncomfortable silence met Nardole's question, revealing that neither Bill nor the Doctor knew the answer.


	8. chapter 8

A/N: After a massive writer's block which caused me to temporarily abandon all of my stories, I then went on a several weeks long holiday without internet! So I'm terribly sorry about all of that. I just want to reassure you all that none of my stories have been completely abandoned, and all will be continued! The only point in which they will finish is when I decide they are ready to finish and I will complete them properly and mark them as such - I won't simply leave my stories to gather dust. Even after periods of writer's block like I've experienced recently, I'll hope to always try my best to return to my stories because I love writing, and I love that people love my writing and I don't want to let anyone down. Thank you as always for favouriting, following and reviewing, it all makes me smile and is greatly appreciated. Lots of love - W

After waking for no apparent reason in the middle of the night, Bill found herself unable to get back to sleep. She sat up in bed and frowned frustratedly into the darkness of her room. She had woken up mysteriously the past several nights as well, and it was beginning to get on her nerves.

Giving up on any attempt to settle back into bed, Bill wondered whether there were any good books in the TARDIS library. Just as she considered rising out of bed to find out, a heavy thumping sound from outside her bedroom door caused her to jump. A quiet curse followed, and Bill rolled her eyes.

"Nardole!" She whispered as she opened her door. Nardole looked up from his position on the floor and smiled weakly.

"Bill!" He exclaimed. Using the wall as a brace, he pulled himself up. "Who knew there was a wall there? It's awfully dark out here you know." Bill rolled her eyes.

"Why are you here? It's the middle of the night!" She asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Nardole said, raising an eyebrow.

"I've not had enough sleep for games, Nardole." Bill huffed. Nardole raised his hands in defence.

"Alright, alright. I was looking for you. Follow me." He replied ominously. Gesturing for Bill to follow, he began to sneak slowly down the hallway.

dwdwdw

"Nardole, why are we here?" Bill whispered impatiently. The lack of sleep was starting to catch up with her. Nardole shook his head and raised a finger to his lips to shush her. He pointed towards the corner they were coming up to.

Bill frowned and edged closer, following his instructions. Suddenly, as she grew closer, a noise could be heard from the TARDIS control room that lay around the corner. It seemed to be a voice, muttering quietly, followed by the occasional clang of something hitting the ground.

"Get closer", Nardole mouthed to Bill. Bill nodded and poked her head around the corner. Her mouth fell open slightly as she sourced the root of the sound.

Missy sat on her knees in front of an open panel in the floor, pulling certain parts out of the TARDIS floor and throwing them to the side. She muttered to herself constantly, however it was too quiet for Bill and Nardole to understand the exact words. A glowing green light came from the floor and lit up the time lady's face as she continued with whatever it was she was doing.

"What's she doing?" Bill whispered. Nardole shrugged.

"Not sabotaging the TARDIS, I hope." He muttered quietly in reply.

"I doubt it. If she wanted the TARDIS sabotaged, we'd be dead already, I'd imagine." Bill and Nardole jumped as the Doctor's voice sounded quietly from behind them. They turned to face him with sheepish expressions, embarrassed to have been caught.

"What is she doing, then?" Bill asked.

"It helps her, doing that sort of thing. She's probably just rearranging parts of the TARDIS. Might even be improving it. Jazzing it up a bit. It's a distraction." The Doctor explained.

"A distraction from what?" Bill asked. Missy continued to mutter but was now simply staring at a part she held in her hands.

The Doctor looked away. "Her mind, really. It's her own... hell, if you believe in that sort of thing." He replied softly.

"Insanity." Bill mumbled. The Doctor nodded, and sighed so quietly that Bill supposed he did not intend for her to hear.

"She can hear us." The Doctor said suddenly. Bill and Nardole shared a worried glance.

"How do you know?" Bill whispered quietly.

"She's not stupid. She can hear your thoughts. Always been very good at telepathy. Besides, neither of you are a typical spy. You're like elephants." The Doctor replied.

Bill bit her lip. "She's going to kill me. You could've warned me." She hissed to the Doctor. The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"You're just fuelling her fantasies now, Bill. No one is killing anyone tonight. Shouldn't you be sleeping anyway? You lot need longer amounts of sleep to keep you running." The Doctor answered. Bill frowned.

"Don't say it."

"Say what?" The Doctor frowned in confusion.

"Pudding brains. I knew you were going to say it."

The Doctor shrugged. "My lips are sealed. Go back to bed." He raised an eyebrow and stared at Nardole and Bill until they finally left, however begrudgingly.

 _It's still a rather accurate description, though._ Missy spoke to the Doctor telepathically. The Doctor chuckled.

 _Don't let Bill hear you saying that_. He replied jokingly. Missy shrugged. The Doctor walked over to join her on the floor, but stuck to speaking telepathically.

 _That's useful, I think_. The Doctor said, gesturing to the TARDIS part that Missy had thrown aside and deemed unnecessary.

Missy chuckled. _Well if you believe that, then that at least partially explains your poor piloting of the TARDIS. You never were very good when it came to TARDIS anatomy. Or flight._

The Doctor rolled his eyes and stood up. _You'll know where to find me_. He spoke gently, placing a hand on Missy's shoulder. Missy nodded and shrugged off his hand.

 _You're going soft._ She smirked. The Doctor smiled softly and left her to her distractions.


	9. chapter 9

"Right! Pick a planet and a time!" The Doctor announced as he circled the TARDIS console, flicking levers and pressing buttons.

"Another trip? Is that the best idea, Doctor?" Bill asked with a raised eyebrow. She lowered her voice slightly on the second sentence, concerned that Missy would here. She looked over to the timelady who sat across the room, seemingly staring off into space.

"Always a good idea, Bill. Besides, sometimes we must give things a chance." The Doctor replied, emphasising his words to imply a different meaning altogether. Bill understood what he meant and nodded.

"Where to?" She asked, watching the screen as he brought up images of places and timelines.

"Up to you and that lot." The Doctor replied, gesturing to Missy and Nardole. Nardole sat close to the console and kept a watchful and nervous eye on Missy. Bill nodded and beckoned Nardole over. She hesitated before calling Missy's name, and awkwardly looked to the Doctor for assistance.

"Coming, pet." Missy said before the Doctor could open his mouth. Bill frowned.

"How'd you know I was going to call for you?" She asked. Missy scoffed.

"You practically radiate awkwardness." She explained. Bill's frown deepened, but she decided to move on from the subject.

"The Doctor says we can choose where we go." Bill said. The Doctor nodded. Missy scoffed again, but surprisingly said nothing.

"I'll be honest, I don't really care as long as there isn't going to be any running. Or hiding. You know, the typical stuff we do." Nardole spoke. Bill rolled her eyes.

"You two are useless." She replied, before turning to face the Doctor. "Why don't you pick, Doctor?" She added. Sometimes I swear I'm a babysitter hanging around with this lot. Bill thought, refraining from another roll of her eyes. The Doctor grinned.

"I thought you'd never ask, Bill. I recommend lunch... let's say, two hundred years from now?" He decided, pressing buttons. Before he could pull the last lever to fly the TARDIS, Missy swatted his hand away.

"No. There's nothing remotely interesting on Earth." She frowned. The Doctor huffed.

"I'm trying to make it simple." He replied. 'For you' were the unspoken words at the end of the sentence. Missy sighed.

"Two hundred and fifty years. Better food." She said. The Doctor nodded.

"Two hundred and fifty years it is." He replied. Missy pulled the last lever, and the TARDIS was sent flying into the future.

dwdwdw

It was only once they arrived that Bill noticed the lack of precautions with Missy the Doctor had taken on this trip - unlike last time, with the wristbands, which proved necessary. She had tried to subtly ask him, but it had been too difficult with Missy nearby.

"Alright! Earth, 2267. Not a particularly remarkable year, honestly. 2268 is much more exciting." The Doctor announced. Bill raised an eyebrow.

"Then let's go there." She replied. Missy shook her head.

"The only moderately bearable restaurant on this entirely miserable planet is shut down in 2268, for some ridiculous reason." Missy said. The Doctor nodded.

"2267 is a good year for food, Bill." He added. Bill chuckled, finding the idea of the Doctor and Missy having a favourite restaurant in some unremarkable year on Earth rather entertaining. The Doctor stopped just before opening the TARDIS doors, and turned to face his three companions. "No running off. I mean it." He warned.

"Yeah, yeah," Bill replied with a smile. "We know the drill. I'm hungry."

Missy rolled her eyes, and the Doctor opened the TARDIS doors to reveal a bustling street. "Nice to know London traffic hasn't changed." Bill remarked sarcastically, noting the large amounts of futuristic cars inching forward slowly in front of them.

"This way!" The Doctor announced, before heading determinedly off to the left. Bill and Nardole followed loyally, with Missy trailing along behind them somewhat unwilling.

dwdwdw

"Are you not at all concerned about this trip?" Nardole asked Bill quietly, nervously checking to see that Missy was not listening. Missy seemed more interested in those who passed her by, and he guessed that she was either deep in thought, or plotting something.

"Of course I am! I just can't get to the Doctor to ask him about it without letting Missy know." Bill replied in a hushed voice.

"We should say something." Nardole said.

"Not now. I do not want Missy on my bad side, Nardole." Bill replied.

"Neither do I, believe me." Nardole said. He glanced behind him, and stopped suddenly, alerting Bill. "Where's Missy?" He whispered anxiously. Bill looked to Nardole with wide eyes as she too noticed the empty space behind them where Missy had been walking.

"We should tell the Doctor." She whispered after a short terrified pause.

"Tell him, then." Nardole said, deciding that the responsibility of losing the timelady - specifically one who had a tendency for crime and murder - was not something he wanted on his head.

"Nardole!" Bill hissed.

"Whatcha doing?" A voice announced, centimetres away from Bill's ear. Bill and Nardole turned to see Missy standing in between them holding a rather tall ice cream.

"What? How..." Nardole muttered.

"Where did you go?" Bill asked with a confused expression. Missy looked from Bill to the ice cream, and back to Bill.

"Isn't it obvious? Do keep up, dear." Missy replied with a slight smirk. She held her ice cream out to Bill. "Want a lick?" She asked teasingly, fluttering her eyelids. Bill shook her head sharply, briefly wondering why Missy had such an ability to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Are you coming?" The Doctor called from several metres ahead, seemingly oblivious to the entire interaction - although, he was likely completely informed.

"Coming, Doctor." Bill replied, running to catch up.


	10. chapter 10

A/N: I'm terribly sorry for not updating this story. I've been very stuck with writer's block, and also went back to school and became swamped with work. In quick summary of what I've decided to do with this story: I have two ongoing DW stories, and I originally started this one as an insight into the relationships between the characters, whilst the other story was more plot based. I sort of strayed from that, but I actually far prefer it that way and find it easier to write! So from now on this story will probably do a bit of jumping around rather than a very linear plot based story, I hope that's okay. Thank you all for bearing with me (and reading all of this intro) and I hope you enjoy xx - W

The table seated five, and the Doctor sat down first. He watched his three friends carefully, observing where they would choose to sit. Nobody moved for several long seconds, until Missy suddenly shot into the chair on the Doctor's left.

"Um, I'll just sit here, then," Nardole announced awkwardly, before sitting on the Doctor's right - as far away as possible from Missy whilst still sitting at the same table. Bill rolled her eyes and sat next to Nardole, leaving one chair between herself and Missy. Missy began discreetly tearing the napkin in front of her as a distraction from the all too familiar feeling of isolation spreading through her chest.

"Any drinks to start off?" A waiter asked, unknowingly breaking the awkward silence that had settled on the table. Bill gasped softly as she noticed the waiter's dark fur.

"No, thank you." the Doctor quickly replied, attempting to save Bill from having to explain herself.

"I didn't know you were a racist, dear." Missy teased. An embarrassed blush quickly spread across Bill's cheeks, and she began to fiddle with the menu in front of her. The Doctor looked at Missy disapprovingly.

"I just didn't expect..." She trailed off, realising how fruitless her justifications were with Missy.

"She's only winding you up, Bill," Nardole said, before pausing pensively. "I'm thinking about having the fish."

dwdwdw

The four ordered and then waited for their meals in an awkward tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. The Doctor sat uncomfortably in the silence, regretting that he had not considered how trying Missy's presence at the table would be. He met eyes with Nardole, who rolled his eyes in such a way that the Doctor could practically hear his judgements.

Missy's napkin creation had advanced as the tension grew. Bill couldn't tell what Missy was making, and she wondered for a moment whether it was simply a torn napkin with no design. However, Bill liked to pride herself in her ability to read people - and through this skill, she decided that Missy didn't seem to be one who would do things without intention.

"The fish?" The waiter asked, having returned whilst Bill was lost in thought. Nardole grinned and beckoned the waiter towards himself, before pointing the other three meals to the appropriate recipients.

"What is he?" Bill asked quietly once the waiter had left. The Doctor shrugged.

"A mutation from humans like you, I'd say. You lot do an enormous amount of mutating. Adapting to your surroundings." He replied. Bill nodded slowly, trying to imagine herself with fur. Her unmanageable hair was enough to deal with.

"Interesting." Nardole added through a mouthful of fish.

"Oh, yes, so interesting. Please, tell me more about furry humans." Missy said sarcastically.

 _Behave_. The Doctor spoke to Missy telepathically. Missy huffed.

 _Your telepathy needs work._ She replied.

 _What's wrong with my telepathy?_ The Doctor asked, honestly not at all surprised. Missy had always been far better at telepathy - the Doctor had often lagged behind in such areas.

 _It's weak_. Missy said, refusing to explain any further.

Bill watched the two timelords eat with confusion. They seemed to be busy... doing what, however, Bill couldn't tell. "What are they doing?" She whispered to Nardole.

"Talking," Nardole replied through another mouthful. "Through telepathy." Bill nodded slowly, deciding it was not the weirdest thing she had heard. "It's rude to talk telepathically in front of your non-telepathic guests, you know." Nardole added loudly.

"Sorry." The Doctor smiled cheekily, as though caught out by a teacher in school. Missy seemed unbothered, and Bill guessed she would likely still continue to speak to the Doctor regardless.

 _You should give Bill and Nardole a go. They're not as slow as you might think._ The Doctor added in a telepathic message to Missy.

 _They're humans_. Missy replied with complete disgust.

 _And they're helping me help you, Missy. Impress me. Give Bill and Nardole a go._ Missy rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.

"What do you do?" Missy asked monotonously. Bill frowned.

"What?" She replied.

"When you're not with the Doctor." Missy added. She acted as though each word pained her. The Doctor watched her with an expression faintly reminiscent of a proud mother.

"Me?" Bill said, completely confused as to why the timelady would care. She looked to the Doctor, who nodded encouragingly. "Um, I work at a University. Serving chips."

"Serving chips?" Missy scoffed. Bill frowned defensively.

"Yeah, serving chips. The Doctor tutors me too. I can't afford studying there." She snapped.

"And that's it? You serve chips, you study, you go into space." Missy sighed, as though her time was being wasted.

"Yeah. That's it. Is that not enough for you?" Bill said, clenching her teeth to stop herself from starting an argument. To her complete surprise, Missy grinned. It wasn't a comforting grin - it was slightly maniacal - but it was something, at least.

"Good." Missy replied, inexplicably satisfied.

dwdwdw

"She likes to... test people," The Doctor explained later, as they all were back in the TARDIS - and Missy had busied herself with repairs once more. "To see whether they're up to her standards."

Bill frowned. "I don't need her validation."

"It's not about you being validated, it's Missy knowing who to trust." The Doctor replied. He stopped touching the TARDIS console to think for a moment. "Although, usually, those who passed the test were enslaved, and those who failed were killed." He added as an afterthought.

"What?!" Bill exclaimed loudly. "Yeah, well in case it wasn't very clear, I'm not down with either of those things."

"No, no, I just mean... it's good to see she didn't try that today."

"Oh, yeah, that's really great. Go Missy, for not murdering me." Bill said sarcastically. The Doctor frowned.

"It's progress, Bill. Missy never progressed in centuries. If she's progressed in the last couple of years... that's good." He explained.

"What's good?" Nardole asked, entering the room. The Doctor turned to fiddle with the TARDIS console.

"Definitely not you." He replied. Nardole frowned.

"And yet I clean, I cook, I babysit timelords..." he sighed.

"Where's Missy?" Bill asked.

"Still doing TARDIS 'repairs'. She's managed to replace one of the parts with some sort of... napkin?" Nardole explained. Bill smiled despite herself.

"Show off." The Doctor muttered.


End file.
